Thursday, November 30, 2017

We've made it to Friday! Time for another Friday Favorites. Today (like the last few weeks) we will be doing something a bit different around here. As some of you may know, Jerri from Simply Sweet Home just had a handsome baby boy. She is usually the one that pulls all of our weekly features together and we share one post. For the next few weeks, each of us will be doing our own features. Sooooo, make sure to visit all of us to see what the others are featuring.

As for me, I'm going to be picking three features each week instead of the usual one. We'll be back to normal soon, but for now enjoy my three favorites from last week featured below.

Thanks for popping in Thinking Out Loud Thursday today. Please link up below and share what you're thinking out loud about.

Now that we are totally engulfed in the holiday season, you might be wondering how long you have to get those packages on a sleigh to their destinations. I've gathered up some facts to share with you today and that's what I'm thinking out loud about.

Mailing Stuff by USPS
The United States Postal Service has issued the below shipping deadlines.

December 19 – Last day to ship via FedEx Express Saver
December 20 – Last day to ship via FedEx 2Day and FedEx 2Day A.M.
December 21 – Last day to ship via FedEx Standard Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, and FedEx First Overnight

Shipping deadlines for packages headed to Puerto Rico and Canada, Mexico, and other international destinations vary. See FedEx's Last Days to Ship site for more information.

Get it there using United Parcel Service

For shipping within the U.S.:

December 21 – Last day to ship via UPS 2nd Day Air*
December 22 – Last day to ship via UPS Next Day Air*

*Note that the package has be processed and labeled for Saturday delivery.

Hey -- just a heads up on something else -- St. Nicholas Day is this Wednesday, December 6. This is when the kiddos sit their shoes out the night before and St. Nicholas puts a little something in them overnight. (Hint - be ready the evening of Tuesday, December 5.)

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

With so much to do for the holidays, sometimes getting a decent meal on the table is just flat out hard to do. This time of year I tend to search for recipes that are quick and easy. With that criteria in mind, I want to share a chicken recipe with you today that will leave your entire family licking their lips and believing you are superhuman.

Here's What You Need

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of chicken broth

Juice from 2 lemons

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup capers

salt and pepper

box of angel hair pasta

Here's What You Do

For a side dish, we usually have roasted asparagus (recipe below). If you plan on fixing it like we do, zest your lemons before juicing them.

The chicken breasts should be 1/2" to 1" thick, so if yours are fatter than that place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and give them a little pounding until they are the right thickness. If you've had a bad day, this can prove to be very therapeutic - oh, and it will also save on the cooking time. Season each breast with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour.

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place your chicken breast in the skillet and cook the breasts for about 3 minutes on each side. If your breasts are thicker, you might want to let them cook a bit longer. When they are done, take them out of the skillet and place on a plate. Cover the plate to keep them warm while you do the next steps.

Now is a good time to cook your pasta. (I usually forget to put the pasta on and then we're waiting for it to get done in the end.)

In the same skillet add in the broth, heavy cream, juice from lemons and capers. Let the mixture come to a boil, then turn the heat to medium low. The mixture will thicken up in a couple minutes. If your sauce to too thin, you can thicken it up with a mixture of cornstarch and a little water. (Mix the water and cornstarch together, then pour it in the sauce.)

Add the chicken back to the skillet and cover with sauce.

I like to serve this with roasted asparagus. A nice twist for the asparagus is drizzle lemon olive oil over the spears before putting it in a 400 degree oven. I also love to sprinkle Sabrosa Lemon-Dill Salt on top.

After roasting for about 8 minutes, sprinkle with more lemon-dill salt and the zest from the lemons.

Bam! Your whole meal is done in a flash. Seriously, we can have this meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. That leaves lots of extra time for all the shopping, wrapping, baking, etc., etc., etc. things on your to-do list.

If you haven't noticed, today isn't just any Tuesday. It's Giving Tuesday!
Last night we had the opportunity to attend an event at the St. Louis Area Foodbank where several past and present St. Louis Blues players came out to support feeding the hungry people in our area. We had a blast! But more importantly, it made me start to think about all the people in our community who are not able to feed their children. How can we make situations like this better?

Thoughts might be swirling in your mind about how money is tight in your family right now or you really don't have much you can give. Well, every little bit counts! You really don't have to give much to make an impact. For every $1, they can provide 4 meals. Just $21 can feed a family of four for a week.

St. Louis Area Foodbank serves people like all of us. Their mission is to feed hungry people by distributing food throughout the bi-state region and engage our community in the fight against hunger. They help working families who still aren't making enough to feed their families. They help senior citizens who are struggling to put food on their tables. They help people who are trying to overcome hardships and are struggling to pay their bills and buy food. They help 43,000 people each week. With your help, they can reach even more.

Please consider making a difference in someone's life by donating today. If you would like to make a donation to the St. Louis Area Foodbank, please click HERE. 97% of all donations are allocated to food distribution. If each of us gave just a little, the impact would be huge! Of course, if you want to give big, please feel free to to that too! :)

What organization are you passionate about? Will you be making a donation on this #GivingTuesday?

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Happy Day After Thanksgiving - better known as Black Friday! Will you be out and about shopping today? I'll be out there with my mom and daughter-in-law. It's a fun day for us to spend together. Hopefully by the end of the day I'll have some presents purchased and I can start wrapping by the end of the weekend.

Before we head out into the craziness, here's my five for today ~

1. Ebates
Do you plan on doing any online shopping this holiday season? Are you signed up for Ebates?? If not, click HERE and get started earning cash back. It is so simple and the rewards are real. My Ebates check last quarter was $159.08. That's free money folks!! Start earning yours today.

Are you a fan of the hit TV show Nashville? Eric and I hadn't seen a single episode up until about a month ago. We are now about to finish season 5. Yes, we are binge-watchers! Oh my gosh we love the show! Well, if you're a fan too did you know there is a soundtrack with the Greatest Hits from Seasons 1-5. Could be a great present for that Nashville fan in your life! Click HERE to purchase.

3. New Item on White Castle Menu
If you find yourself going to the drive through during this busy season, you might want to check out the new item on White Castle's menu - the Cheddar & Apple Butter Turkey Slider. This baby features all-natural white meat turkey burger patty topped with smoked cheddar and cinnamon apple butter served on a slider bun. Might have to give this a try.

4. Darkest Hour
I'm pretty confident if Eric gets to pick our movie this week, it's going to be Darkest Hour. Here's what Rotten Tomatoes has to says about it, "During the early days of World War II, with the fall of France imminent, Britain faces its darkest hour as the threat of invasion looms. As the seemingly unstoppable Nazi forces advance, and with the Allied army cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the leadership of the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Academy Award nominee Gary Oldman). While maneuvering his political rivals, he must confront the ultimate choice: negotiate with Hitler and save the British people at a terrible cost or rally the nation and fight on against incredible odds. Directed by Joe Wright, DARKEST HOUR is the dramatic and inspiring story of four weeks in 1940 during which Churchill's courage to lead changed the course of world history."

5. Be nice out there today.....

Okay guys -- wish me luck finding the perfect gifts for my family and friends today! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you back soon.

Hello Friday Favorites fans! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying some family time. Today (like the last few weeks) we will be doing something a bit different around here. As some of you may know, Jerri from Simply Sweet Home just had a handsome baby boy. She is usually the one that pulls all of our weekly features together and we share one post. For the next few weeks, each of us will be doing our own features. Sooooo, make sure to visit all of us to see what the others are featuring.

As for me, I'm going to be picking three features each week instead of the usual one. We'll be back to normal soon, but for now enjoy my three favorites from last week featured below.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Hey there! Today's the day we're talking about our Fall Bucket Lists. I'm joining some other blogger friends to do a little check on where we stand.

I'm going to be honest, I had kind of forgotten what was on the list. Fall came and I have been busily going about my business and haven't reflected back to this list one time. Let's see how I've done ~

Enjoy A Girls Weekend with My Sorority Sisters
This is currently being planned and I'm so excited about it I can hardly stand it. My friend Linda and I are joining two of our sorority sisters for a girls weekend later this month. It's been years since we spent a chunk of time with these girls and it will be wonderful to catch up on each other's lives.

Check this off the list! Me and three of my sorority sisters had a wonderful trip to Hermann, Missouri. You can read all about it HERE.

Visit a Winery
Eric and I are joining our son and daughter-in-law for an overnight in Hermann, Missouri to visit the wineries there in October. We are so looking forward to having this little getaway with them!

We spent a great weekend with Kayla and Ian in Hermann. As an added bonus, my parents joined us for part of the time too! It was a great family weekend. My post about it is HERE.

Send Some Snail Mail
With Halloween and Thanksgiving on the horizon, it's the perfect time to make some cards and put them in the mail. Who doesn't like getting fun stuff in the mail? I want to be the person to put a smile on some one's face when they peek inside their mailbox.

Hey -- I did this too! My Silhouette has been busy lately. I made some fall towels and mailed one to my friend, Linda, in Kansas City. Haven't mailed as many cards as my original plan. Need to get on that.

Try a New Pumpkin Recipe
Pumpkin recipes are everywhere this time of year and we love pumpkin stuff. What better time than Fall is try a new recipe.

Nope. Nothing on this yet.

Take in the Leaves Turning
I've been several places lately with beautiful landscapes and thought how amazing they would be when the leaves are turning. I'm hoping Eric and I have the opportunity to revisit a few of them when the leaves are at their peak.

Check! Eric and I took a trip to Louisville just as the leaves were peaking and we saw beautiful hillsides with brilliant fall colors. We drove outside of Louisville to Taylor Made Farms and Maker's Mark. That drive will absolutely breathtaking. Recap HERE.

Make Apple Butter
It's been YEARS since I made homemade apple butter. This item is really two-fold because first I want to find the long-lost recipe I once used for apple butter making. It's in my life somewhere, I just don't know where. Wish me luck locating it!

Nope. Nothing to report on this item.

Attend Book Club at the Novel Neighbor
There's an adorable little bookstore in Webster Groves, Missouri that holds an open book club every month. They post on their website the date and book and everyone is invited to attend. I've been thinking about going for a while now. This month I actually took the step of purchasing the book. Now I just need to get it read and attend the book club! Will I see you there?

Can I have a half check on this one? I did buy the book. I did start reading the book. But then I really didn't like the book enough to finish, so I skipped the actual get together. The following month I wasn't going to be available on the meeting night. Soooo, I'm still hoping that one of the months I'll attend book club at the Novel Neighbor.

Decorate for Halloween
This is on the list as a motivation item. Since the Fall decorations made such a late arrival at my house, it would be so easy to skip over Halloween and move straight into Thanksgiving. But I love my Halloween decorations, so I'm adding it to the list in hopes it motivates me to actually do it.

Guess what -- I didn't get out a single Halloween decoration this year. Part of it was because I was just too lazy to do it and the other part of I was truly loving my fall decorations and didn't want to put them away. Oh well, there's always next year!

See Ed Sheeran in Nashville
We missed seeing our friend Ed in St. Louis because his concert was cancelled. He'll be in Nashville in October and I'm going to be there to see him! See you soon Ed!

Check!! My friend, Debbie, and I had an absolute blast seeing Ed Sheeran in Nashville. You can read about it HERE. We even got into the Bluebird that weekend. Oh, the memories!!

Get a Jump on My Christmas Shopping
Raise your hand if you would like to get your Christmas shopping done early. My thought is if I get the shopping done early, then I'll have more time to wrap. Wrapping is always a last minute thing at my house and this year I'd like that to be different. Perhaps this is the year that we'll have a stress-free Christmas season. One can always dream, right?!?

Well, I'm not as far along as I would prefer to be, but some progress has been made. That's something, right?!?

How are you doing on your Fall bucket list? Glad I took a minute to look at my list - now I need to get busy checking a few more of the items off.

Monday, November 20, 2017

Welcome to the short week of Thanksgiving!! Traffic was light on my way to work this morning, so it seems some people may be taking off the whole week. That makes it especially nice for those of us working because getting to and from is much smoother! I'm working three days and then have four glorious days off -- I can't wait!!

This past weekend was definitely one we won't be forgetting any time soon. Eric and I, along with our friends Debbie and Larry, headed to Nashville to try our luck again at getting in the late show at The Bluebird. Sam Palladio (Gunnar for those of you who are Nashville fans) was playing in the round and we had our hearts set on hearing him play in real life.

Tickets for the Saturday night show went on sale Monday morning at 8:00 am. If you've ever tried to get tickets, you know what a challenge it is. We had nine computers all logged in and ready to purchase. Not one of them got through in time to reserve seats.

But we didn't let that stop us. There are usually 10-12 seats available for those die-hard fans who wait in line. This particular weekend, there was a private event for the 6:30 pm show so anyone waiting in line was there for the 9:30 pm gig. We were willing to put in the time to get inside. So Saturday morning we loaded up and headed to Nashville. Drove straight to the Bluebird and arrived around 2:15 pm. We set up camp and prepared ourselves for the seven hour wait. We were the first four in line and felt fairly confident we would be seeing the inside of the Bluebird for the late show!

Everything was great for the first few hours. The guys walked across the street to get appetizers and pizza from California Pizza Kitchen (YUM!). The temperature was chilly, but not terribly cold.

Somewhere around 4:00 pm things took a turn. The wind began to whip and the sky took on a weird color. Next we heard the tornado sirens begin making their shrill sound. Did we leave? Heck no!

As the evening went on, the weather continued in a downward spiral. The temperatures began dropping, the rain picked up and the wind, oh my gosh THE WIND, gusted. We hunkered down and waited it out.

About 8:30 pm, a Bluebird staff member updated us on the seating situation. He said that they weren't sure anyone would be getting in, but probably no more than 5-6 people. Thank heavens we were numbers 1-4!

Our efforts paid off and around 9:15 pm we were given the green light to go on in! Was it worth the wait? Darn right it was! Sam Palladio, Jaida Dreyer, Colin Linden and Lee HARVeY OsMOND performed an amazing set and the experience is something we'll treasure forever. I know some of you may think we were a bit crazy for waiting that long in those circumstances and you might be right. But you know what, for me I like living a bit on the crazy side. That's what makes life entertaining and I'm so glad I have friends that are willing to go on these crazy adventures with me!

Being the Nashville (hit TV show) fan that we are, it was super cool to see the Gunnar and music director Colin Linden in person. Also Jaida Dreyer has written numerous songs for the show. As an added bonus, we saw a new addition to the cast for Season Six. If you watch the show, be on the lookout for this talent.

Debbie and I would have loved to get a picture with Sam Gunnar, but we just weren't brave enough to elbow our way in. This is as close as we got ~

Sunday morning we brunched at Adele's. This hot spot features an open kitchen with a large fireplace grill and wood burning oven. The menu focuses on seasonal, accessible comfort food sourced from local farms. It was fabulous!

Before heading back to St. Louis, we made a quick stop at Draper James and got a few pictures by the Nashville sign.

Now it's Monday and I'm roughing out what needs to happen to get ready for Thanksgiving. We'll be having people at our house this year and I'm so thankful that my parents, Eric's mom, Ian and Kayla are able to join us!

Pop back in tomorrow to see how I'm doing with my fall goals. We still have a while to get them done, right?!?

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Thanksgiving is just days away and if you're hosting, you might be getting a bit freaked out about how to keep the kids entertained while you're busy in the kitchen. With the help of Amazon Prime, I have a few suggestions to help make the day go a little smoother.

When things get tense (and you know there will be those moments), having few jokes and riddles up your sleeve can really defuse the situation. This handy book just might turn a stressful moment into one where the whole family is laughing. Here's a sample ~ Why did the turkey cross the road? He had to prove that he wasn't a chicken! hahahah. Click HERE to purchase.

Cover your table with this versatile chalkboard tablecloth and let the kids have a blast drawing until their hearts are content. We used this last year and it was so fun watching the kids play tic tac toe with their grandparents on it. Click HERE to purchase. Don't forget to grab some chalk - available HERE.

While you have the table covered, now would be a great time to bust out a little craft project. This kit makes 4 turkeys with 6 feathers each and is ideal to kids busy hands occupied. Pick up your set (or two) HERE.

Who doesn't love Charlie Brown? You could always pop in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and let the kids (and probably some adults too) enjoy watching Peppermint Patty invite herself and her pals to Charlie Brown house for a really big turkey party. Good grief!! Click HERE to add this DVD to your collection.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Happy weekend! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty darn excited that the weekend is here. I should be staying home and getting ready for Thanksgiving next week, but instead we're heading to Nashville with some friends. Hopefully I'll have a tale of us at the Bluebird to share with you next week.

Before all that action gets underway, here's my five for this week ~

1. Wonder
We saw the trailer for this movie months ago and I've been anxiously awaiting it's arrival. Well, it's here! Here's the synopsis from Fandango, "A young boy (Jacob Tremblay) with a facial deformity begins the fifth grade in a mainstream school with the help and support of his mother (Julia Roberts) and father (Owen Wilson). The challenges he faces helps others learn to not judge a book by its cover." Hope it's as good as the previews make it appear to be!

I tried a new face primer and I think I'm in love! This is my first time using any primer and the e.l.f. Poreless Primer seems to be a winner. The cost is definitely right - $6.00 at Ulta and Target. The makeup primer creates an even surface while reducing the look of pores, lines and shine. You can even see the years disappear since the formula is infused with tea tree oil and vitamins A and E. Do you use a primer? What's your favorite?

If you read my post from yesterday, you heard about my quest to organize my master closet. Inside my closet I have a dresser and inside the drawers was a total jumble. Not anymore!! Thanks to these drawer organizers, I now have neat compartments for my socks and underwear. Amazon says, "The Dream Drawer Organizers are innovative, adjustable drawer dividers. They are spring-loaded to fit just about any drawer, expanding from 12" to 16". Perfect for organizing socks and undergarments." Have some drawers that need these organizers? Click HERE to learn more about them and purchase yours.

We've all been in circumstances when people we love are in really bad situations. What's the right thing to say? What can we do? This book will help you answer some of those questions. Amazon says, "Written in a how-to, relatable, we’ve-all-been-that-deer-in-the-headlights kind of way, There Is No Good Card for This isn’t a spiritual treatise on how to make you a better person or a scientific argument about why compassion matters. It is a helpful illustrated guide to effective compassion that takes you, step by step by step, past the paralysis of thinking about someone in a difficult time to actually doing something (or nothing) with good judgment instead of fear.

There Is No Good Card for This features workbook exercises, sample dialogs, and real-life examples from Dr. Crowe’s research, including her popular "Empathy Bootcamps" that give people tools for building relationships when it really counts. Whether it’s a coworker whose mother has died, a neighbor whose husband has been in a car accident, or a friend who is seriously ill, There Is No Good Card for This teaches you how to be the best friend you can be to someone in need."

Everyone can benefit from reading this book. Click HERE to grab yourself a copy.

5. Getting ready for Thanksgiving.....

Enjoy the weekend! I'll be back next week to share our adventure in Nashville.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Hello Friday Favorites fans! Today (and for the next few weeks) we will be doing something a bit different around here. As some of you may know, Jerri from Simply Sweet Home is expecting a baby any day now. She is usually the one that pulls all of our weekly features together and we share one post. For the next few weeks, each of us will be doing our own features. Sooooo, make sure to visit all of us to see what the others are featuring.

As for me, I'm going to be picking three features each week instead of the usual one. We'll be back to normal soon, but for now enjoy my three favorites from last week featured below.